The slang or colloquial term tinnie or tinny has a variety of meanings, generally derived from some association with the metal tin, or aluminium foil which has a loose allusion to tin.
In New Zealand, a "tinny" or "tinnie" can be a small package of cannabis wrapped in tin foil (cf. 'foilies' in Australia), retailing for between NZ$20–25 (depending on the region). A building where such retailing takes place (commonly a superficially unremarkable home) is a "tinnie house".[1] Other drugs such as methamphetamine may be available as well. In recent years the term has become not unusual in New Zealand court judgments involving the Misuse of Drugs Act.
Another variant of "tinny"/"tinnie" is as a slang term for a can of beer, commonly used in Australia, New Zealand and some parts of the UK. Most items referred to in this region as "tinnies" are actually made of aluminium.
In Australia "tinny" is also commonly used as slang for a small open aluminium boat.
Short for tin-arse (now archaic), "tinny" is also used in Australia to mean "lucky", as in "he's a tinny bastard".
Tingoora, a small town just north of Kingaroy in south-east Queensland, Australia, is also often referred to a "Tinny", eg. the "Tinny Pub".
In the United States, a "tinnie" refers to a piece of tin foil that is made into a smoking device, most often for cannabis. It is used when nothing else of use can be found.
Other uses cover certain German medals or shops selling aluminium products.
One of the medieval Peel towers on the Scottish Borders was at Tinnies.
Colloquially meaning a game in which a group of people jump on top of each other to form a pile. The game is initiated by an individual shouting "Tinnies", then lying face down to allow other players to lie on top, forming the pile. This game is also known by the names "Bundle" or "Pile-on."
"Tinny" is also a term for audio which lacks resonance, resembling a piece of tin being struck.
The phrase is also referenced in the Monty Python sketch "Woody and Tinny Words" where Graham Chapman describes various seemingly-random words as being "tinny" or "woody" with the former utterance inducing great discomfort in his daughter.